February 13, 2018, Meeting Minutes

MINUTES FOR THE SPRINGFIELD RETIREMENT BOARD MEETING
70 TAPLEY STREET, SPRINGFIELD, MA 01104
HELD ON FEBRUARY 13, 2018 AT 5:00 P.M.

Present: Robert Moynihan, Patrick Burns, Thomas Scanlon, Haskell Kennedy, Attorney Alfredo ViVenzio, Executive Director, Susana Baltazar, Judy Dziobek, Recording Clerk, Attorney Kevin Coyle, Keola Perry, Kris Brown, Greg Superneau, Commissioner Bernard J. Calvi, Khristy Lord, Angelina Santiago, D. Jeremy Demar, Lynn Vedovelli, Rena Taddia

Absent: Philip Mantoni/Sick

Chairman Moynihan called the meeting to order at 5:00 P.M.

Agenda Item #1-Minutes
Motion made by Kennedy to approve the minutes of the meeting held on January 3, 2018, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #2-Board Chairman and Vice-Chairman
Motion made by Kennedy to confirm the action taken to appoint Robert Moynihan as Chairman for the calendar year of 2018, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Motion made by Kennedy to confirm the action taken to appoint Thomas Scanlon as Vice-Chairman for the calendar year of 2018, second by Burns and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #3-Involuntary Accidental and Ordinary Disability-Keola Perry/Police Department
Motion made by Scanlon to accept the clarification of the responses of the medical panel, the evidence of the Involuntary Accidental application and approve the disability benefits for Keola Perry, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Motion made by Kennedy to deny the application for Involuntary Ordinary Disability benefits submitted by Police Commissioner John Barbieri, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #4-Accidental Disability Application-Kris Brown/DPW-Solid Waste Department
Motion made by Scanlon to accept the application for Accidental Disability benefits submitted by Kris Brown, and request that PERAC convene a medical panel, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #5-Accidental Disability Application-Christopher Fontaine/Fire Department
Motion made by Kennedy to accept the application for Accidental Disability benefits submitted by Christopher Fontaine, and request that PERAC convene a medical panel, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #6-Accidental and Ordinary Disability-Daniel Gauthier/Police Department
Motion made by Kennedy to accept the application for Ordinary Disability benefits submitted by Daniel Gauthier, and request that PERAC convene a medical panel, second by Burns and voted unanimously.
Motion made by Kennedy to deny the application for Accidental Disability benefits submitted by Daniel Gauthier, second by Burns and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #7-Superannuations
Motion made by Scanlon to accept the following Superannuations: Ellen Angeli, Senior Systems Developer, IT Department with 37 years and 9 months as of 5/5/18; James E. Beucke, Senior Inspector, Water & Sewer Commission with 40 years as of 3/10/18; John Bobianski, Lieutenant, Police Department with 35 years and 3 months as of 1/19/18; Peggy Bowling Bates, Paraprofessional, School Department with 11 years and 2 months as of 2/6/18; Karen Jordan, Library Associate, Springfield Library with 13 years and 5 months as of 1/27/18; Gary Lantaigne, Transportation Coordinator, School Department with 10 years as of 3/17/18; Dennis O’Brien, Maintenance Foreman, Facilities with 31 years and 6 months as of 1/20/18; Christopher Pohner, Firefighter, Fire Department with 30 years and 9 months as of 2/1/18; Ann Randall, LPN, School Department with 26 years and 3 months as of 2/27/18; Christopher Spears, Firefighter, Fire Department with 33 years as of 2/21/18; Raymond Wyszynski, Police Officer, Police Department with 24 years and 7 months as of 3/4/18, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #8-Warrants
Motion made by Scanlon to approve and reaffirm the payment of the following warrants: Warrant #1-2018 Expenses in the amount of $55,176.35, Warrant #2-2018 Refunds in the amount of $93,428.79, Warrant #3-January Retiree allowances in the amount of $6,289,966.52 and redemption from the PRIT fund in the amount of $5,060,000.00, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #9-Refunds/Transfers to Other Systems
Motion made by Kennedy to accept the sixteen (16) requests for refunds and transfers to other systems. The names have been submitted to their particular Department, the Law Department and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #10-Redeposit of Refunds and Makeup of Contributions
Motion made by Scanlon to allow the makeup of contributions and the redeposit of refunds to: Christopher Hitas, Police Officer, purchasing 2 years and 6 months at the Police Department as a Cadet from 1990 to 1992; Paula Thayer, Parks Department, purchasing 4 years at the Parks Department in 1991-1993, and 1995; Gary Velozo, Working Maintenance Forman, Streets, purchasing 1 year at the DPW Department as a Seasonal Skilled Laborer from 1985 to 1986; Bettina Meade, Paraprofessional, School Department, for the refund from Springfield Retirement in 2017; Rebecca Treat, Dispatcher, Dispatch Department, for the refund from Springfield Retirement in 2014, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #11-Director’s Report
Executive Director Baltazar stated that the hearing for Christian Bach has been rescheduled to February 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. The Executive Director also informed the Board that she notified the Mayor, City Council, Housing Authority and the Water & Sewer Commission that the Board will consider a Cost of Living Increase for retirees at the meeting to be held on March 13, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. Ms. Baltazar informed the Board that the staff is going over the data necessary for PERAC to complete the Actuarial Valuation as of
January 1, 2018. The Director also informed the Board that a PERAC class on the Annual Statement will be held on February 22, 2018 at 11:00 A.M. in the conference center as part of the Retirement Board Member training, and that the NCPERS Conference will be held from May 13, 2018 through May 16, 2018. The Executive Director also informed the Board that the 1099R’s and the Member’s Annual Statements were mailed, and that the staff is working on year end.

Agenda Item #12-Attorney’s Report
Attorney ViVenzio updated the Board that a settlement has been reached on an offset claim of third party recovery regarding Ricardo Ortiz.

Agenda Item #13-Old Business
None

Agenda Item #14-New Business
None

F. Y. I. PERAC Memos: #1- 2018 Limits under Chapter 46 of the Acts of 2002, #2- 2018 Limits under Section 23 of Chapter 131 of the Acts of 2010, #3- COLA Notice, #4- Tobacco Company List, #5- Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training–1st Quarter 2018, #6-Buyback and Make-up Repayment Worksheets, #7-NCPERS 2018 State and Federal Legislation Webcast-Three Credits, #8-840 CMR 10:10(3) & 10:15(4)-Annual Review of Medical Testing Fee, #9-Actuarial Data, #10-2018 Interest Rate set at 0.1%, PERAC Pension News, PRIM-Annual CAFR Report-FY 2017, December PRIT Fund Update, Pre-Closing Trial Balance, Adjusting Entries, Receipts, Disbursements and General Ledger for the month of December, Treasurer’s Reconciliation for the month of November, Budget Balances as of January, Crescendo Ventures-Quarterly Information, Monthly Transfers for January, Recent Retiree Deaths

The correspondence and reports were received and reviewed by the Board Members and Executive Director.

Motion made by Kennedy to adjourn at 5:35 P.M. second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

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Robert P. Moynihan, Chairman

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Thomas M. Scanlon, Elected Member

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Haskell Kennedy, Appointed Member

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Patrick S. Burns, Appointed Member